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The Invasion and Metastasis Research Group is interested in how cancer cells are able to dissociate from the primary tumour, invade the surrounding tissue and subsequently metastasise to distal sites.

Tissue invasion and migration require cancer cells to reorganise their actin cytoskeleton as well as adhere to and degrade the surrounding extracellular matrix. It is well established that cytoskeletal rearrangement, cell adhesion formation and turnover is regulated by Rho GTPases, Rho, Rac and Cdc42. PAKs are serine/threonine kinases that operate downstream of Rho GTPases to control cytoskeletal organisation and substratum adhesion. The PAK family can be sub-divided into two groups; Group 1 PAKs (1-3) and Group 2 PAKs (4-6) based on sequence homology and members of both groups are activated by growth factor signalling pathways. We use live cell imaging, biochemical and molecular approaches to investigate the role of PAK family kinases in cancer cell migration, adhesion and invasion.

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Current PhD students

Lujain Kuwair

Alexandria Mitchell

Charly Brown

Marianne Best

Mahfuja Bulu

Ibrahim Oguz

Valeria Manuelli

Publications

    Previous group members

    Post-Docs

    Andrew Whale

    Anna Dart

    Christian Benzing

    Michaela Lesjak

    Sevil Oskay

    PhD students

    Sally Fram

    Fariesha Hashim

    Helen King

    Nicole Nicholas

    Fahmid Ahmed

    Mario De Piano

    Hoyin Lam

    Katerina Pipielli

    Nouf Babteen

    Kiruthikah Thallai

    Maddie Gale

    Publications

      Previous group members

      Post-Docs

      Andrew Whale

      Anna Dart

      Christian Benzing

      Michaela Lesjak

      Sevil Oskay

      PhD students

      Sally Fram

      Fariesha Hashim

      Helen King

      Nicole Nicholas

      Fahmid Ahmed

      Mario De Piano

      Hoyin Lam

      Katerina Pipielli

      Nouf Babteen

      Kiruthikah Thallai

      Maddie Gale

      Our Partners

      MRC new logo

      Medical Research Council

      Breast Cancer Now logo

      Breast Cancer Now

      Wellcome trust logo

      Wellcome Trust

      pancreatic cancer research fund

      Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund

      prostate cancer UK

      Prostate Cancer UK